ZX Pilot #19 12 февраля 1998

Самиздат

Fantasy - A Tale Strugatsky "Way to Amalthea (continued).

   FICTION


Continued. Start see # 16, 17, 18.



      Amalthea, "Jay-STATION. Vodovoz Talks on Hunger,

    A ENGINEER Deli ashamed of his CUISINE


   After dinner, Uncle Valnoga came in saloon and said, no 
matter Who is not looking:


   - I need water. Volunteers have?

   - Yes, - said Kozlov.

   Potapov looked up from the chessboard and also said:

   - Yes.

   - Of course there is, - said Konstantin Stetsenko.

   - May I? - Asked Zoya Ivanova-pitched voice.

   - Can - Valnoga said, staring at the ceiling. - So you
come.

   - How much water? - Asked Kozlov.

   - Slightly - Uncle Valnoga. - Tons of ten.

   - Well, - said Kozlov. - We are now

   Uncle Valnoga left.

   - I, too, with you, - said Gregory.

   - You better sit down and think about their own power - has 
advised Potapov. - Progress in yours. You always think for half 
an hour on each swing.


   - Nothing, - said Gregory. - I still have time to think.

   - Gal, Come with us - he called Stetsenko.

   Galya was in the chair in front of magnitovideofonom. She 
lazily replied:


   - Perhaps.

   She stood up and leaned sweetly. She was twenty-eight years,
She was tall, dark and very beautiful. Most beautiful
woman at the station. Half of the guys at the station were in 
love her. She headed the astrometric observatory.


   - Come on, - "Kozlov said. He fastened the buckles on the 
magnetic shoes and walked to the door.


   They went to the warehouse and took it fur jackets,
saws, and self-propelled platform.

   Aysgrotte - so the place where the plant would take water for
technical, sanitary and food needs. Amalthea,
flattened ball with a diameter of one hundred thirty 
kilometers, consists of solid ice. This is a normal water ice, 
exactly the the same as on Earth. And only on the surface of 
the ice a little pitted meteoritic dust and stone and iron 
debris. About the origin of icy planetke nobody could say 
anything certain. Some - few insiders in the cosmogony - 
believed that Jupiter is in the discharge the same time tore a 
water shell with some inadvertently draws near the planet. 
Others were inclined to attribute Education Fifth satellite due 
to condensation of water crystals. Still others claimed that 
Amalthea does not belong to the solar system, that it came from 
interstellar space and was captured by Jupiter. But be that as 
it may, unlimited reserves of water ice under their feet - this 
is a great convenience for "Jay-station on Amalthea.


   Platform drove down the corridor of the lower horizon and
stopped in front of a wide gate aysgrotte. Gregor jumped
from the platform, walked to the gate, peering myopically, 
became look for the lock button.


   - Below, below, - Potapov said. - Owl's blind.

   Gregor found the button and the doors parted. Platform drove
in aysgrotte. Aysgrotte was just aysgrotte - Ice Cave
tunnel, carved into solid ice. Three gas-discharge tubes
lit tunnel, but the light reflected from the ice walls and 
ceiling, crushed and sparkled on the roughness, so it seemed 
that aysgrotte illuminated many chandeliers ...


   There was no magnetic field, and had to walk cautiously.
And here it was very cold.

   - Ice - Galya said, looking around. - Just like on Earth.

   Zoya shivered, wrapped in a fur coat.

   - As in Antarctica - she murmured.

   - I was in Antarctica - announced Gregor.

   - And where only you were not! - Potapov said. - Everywhere 
you've been! 

   - Took guys - ordered Kozlov.

   The guys took power saws, came to the far wall and began to
bars cut out of ice. Saw went to the ice like a hot knife in
oil. The air sparkled ice chips. Zoya and Galia came
closer.

   - Give me - Zoya asked, looking at the bent back Kozlov.

   - Do not give - "Kozlov said, without turning .- eyes hurt.

   - Just like the snow on earth - Galya said, substituting
hand under the stream ldinok.

   - Well, a lot of this stuff everywhere - Potapov said. - For 
example, on Ganymede as you want snow.


   - I was on Ganymede - announced Gregor.

   - Since you can go crazy - Potapov said. He turned off his 
chainsaw and rolled away from the wall a huge ice cube. - 
That's it. 

   - Cut into pieces - advised Stetsenko.

   - Do not Kill - "Kozlov said. He also turned off the saw and 
rolled wall block of ice. - On the contrary ... - It is an 
effort pushed boulder and she swam slowly toward the exit of 
the tunnel. - On the contrary, Valnoge more convenient when the 
boards are large. 

   - Ice - Galya said. - Just like on Earth. Now I'll
always go here after work.

   - You really miss the Earth? - Timidly asked Zoya. Zoya
was ten years younger Ghali, has worked at the lab
astrometric observatory and shy in front of his head.

   - Very, - said Galya. - In general, the Earth, Zoya, and so
want to sit on the grass, like the evening in the park
dance ... Not our aerial dance, but an ordinary waltz. AND
drink from a normal glasses, not stupid pears. And wear
dress, not trousers. I'm terribly bored by the ordinary skirt.

   - I, too, - said Potapov.

   - Skirt - yes, that - "Kozlov said.

   - Tootles - Galia replied. - Boys.

   She picked up a shard of ice and threw it in Sasha. Potapov
jumped up, hit back at the ceiling and flew to Stetsenko.

   - Hush you, - said angrily Stetsenko. - Under the chainsaw 
please. 

   - Well, quite probably - "Kozlov said. He rolled away from 
the walls of the third rail. - Georgia, guys.


   They loaded the ice on the platform, then suddenly Potapov
grasped with one hand Galya other hand Zoya and scored on both
stack of ice blocks. Zoya shrieked in fright and clutched
for Galya. Galia laughed.

   - Let's go! - Potapov bawled. - Now Valnoga give you a 
premium bowl of soup hlorellovoy on his nose.


   - I would not be refused, - muttered Kozlov.

   - You had never refused - said Stetsenko. - And so
Now, when we have hungry ...

   The platform went from aysgrotte, and Gregor pushed the gate.

   - Is it hunger? - Zoya said from the top of an ice pile. -
So I recently read a book about the war with the Nazis - that 
there was really hungry. In Leningrad during the blockade.


   - I was in Leningrad - announced Gregor.

   - We eat chocolate - continued Zoya - and then betrayed by
and fifty grams of bread a day. And what bread! Half of
sawdust.

   - So much and sawdust - questioned Stetsenko.

   - Imagine it from the sawdust.

   - Chocolate Chocolate - Kozlov said - and we will be tight,
if you do not arrive "Tahmasib.

   Electric saw he was carrying on his shoulder like a gun.

   - Arriving - said confidently Gal. She jumped off the 
platform, Stetsenko and quickly caught her. - Thank you, 
Kostya. Necessarily arrive, the boys.


   - Still, I think we should invite the boss to reduce
daily servings - Kozlov said. - At least for men only.

   - What nonsense - said Zoya. - I read somewhere that women
better tolerate hunger than men.

   They walked down the hallway after the slow-moving platform.

   - So the women - said Potapov. - And then the children.

   - Iron wit - said Zoya. - Right-iron.

   - No, really, guys - "Kozlov said. - If the Bulls do not
will arrive tomorrow, you have to gather everyone and ask for 
consent to reducing portions.


   - Well, - has agreed Stetsenko. - I think no one will
object.

   - I would not mind - announced Gregor.

   - That's good - Potapov said. - And I thought I like to be,
if you're suddenly going to object.

   - Welcome to water-carrier! - Shouted astrophysicist 
Nicholas, passing past.


   Galya said angrily:

   - Do not understand how someone can so openly to care only 
about his belly, like "Tahmasib - automatic and it does not 
have any living person.


   Even Potapov blushed and could not think of anything to say. 
Rest of the way the galley passed in silence. In the galley 
uncle sat Valnoga hanging around the huge ion exchange 
treatment units water. The platform stopped at the entrance to 
the galley. 

   - Unload, - said my uncle Valnoga, staring at the floor. In 
the galley it was unusually quiet, cool and does not smell. 
Uncle Valnoga painfully experienced this desolation.


   In the silence of the icy rails were shipped with the 
platform and laid down in the hole mouth water purifiers.


   - Thank you, - said my uncle Valnoga, without raising his 
head. 

   - Please, Daddy Valnoga - Kozlov said. - Come on, guys.

   They silently went to the warehouse, then silently returned 
to the hall recreation. Galya took a book and settled into a 
chair in front of magnitovideofonom. Stetsenko hesitantly 
shuffled his feet beside her, looked at the Kozlov and Zoya, 
who again sat down at the table Occupation (Zoya studied in 
absentia in the energy institute, and Kozlov helped her), he 
sighed and walked into his room. Potapov Gregor said:


   - Walk. Your turn.



      To be continued ...